Tire-opening machine.



W. C. STEVENS.

TIRE OPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY I. 1918.

1 ,288,733. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. C. STEVENS.

TIRE OPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION meu MAY i. 19m.

1,288,733. Patented Dec.24,1918.

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TIRE OPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 191s.

1,288,733. Patented De... 24,1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEiiioE.

WILLI C. STEVENS, OF Amin', OHIO, ABBIGNOB T0 THE FIBESTOIE m b RUBBER OOIPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, L CORPORATION 0l' OHIO.

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A mn-oriiumcxaommt Ammunition niet any v, isis. uml itoimiw.

To 'all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. STEvENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron in the county of Summit,` State of Ohio, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Tire-OpeningMacliines, of which the following is a specification.

In pre aring pneumatic tires, particularly automobile tires for the market, it is customary to assemble the tire casing and the 1nner tube and enerally the tire iiap before shipment by acing the tube and flap inside llhis has heretofore been dene by unskilled laborers who opened the casing by hand while the tube and Hip were inserted. The tire casings are sti andhard to handle and this machine is de vised tor opening and holding o en the casing while the tube is inserted2 wit or without the flap, making the operation much easier and lessening the possibility of injury to the casing 0i' the tube. o

In the drawings accom anying this specification is shown one em diment of a machine for performing this o eration although the showin is illustrative only and the machine is capa leof modification without departing from the principles of the invention.

Fi ure 1 is a vertical section through the machine on line 1--1 of Fig. 3, showing a tire casing in the machine in normal or closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the casing held open ready to receive the tube.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 Fig. 1. y,

The apparatus comprises a base 1 from which rise legs or standards 2, the upper ends of which support a table 3. `0n the base there are pivoted at 4 a series of vertical rods or arms 5 arranged in a circle, the upper ends of which pass through radial slots 6 in the table and are provided at their extremities with hooks or fingers bent outwardly as shown at 7.

Slidingly mounted on the upper portion of each rod is a sleeve 8 from which extends through the slot 6 an L-shaped arm 9, Vthe upper end of which carries a pivot 10 on which is mounted a swin 'ng horizontal arm 11 which projects inwa ly toward the center of the table. The inner end of the arm is bent downwardly at right angles to the main portion, as shown at 12, and carries an outwardly bent finger or hook 13 which may rest on the finger or hook 7, although this exact arrangement is not essential. This arrangement prevents the arm 11 from dropping down too furto enter the space between the inner edges of the tire casing, although a further movement may be revented by the upper end of the arm 9 w ich is arranged to strike the under surface of the arm 11 when the latter is in its proper position.

Secured to each rod 5, below the sleeve 8, is a collar 14, above which a coil spring 15 encircles the rod. On a standard 16 located centrally of the base is a cylinder 17 containing a piston 18, adapted to be operated by compressed air or other fluid. The operation of the cylinder may be governed by any suitable valve mechanism which is not shown. The piston rod 19 carries at its lower end a spider or cross-head 20 provided with a number of arms 21 equal to the number of rods 5. Some of the arms, are forked at their extremities as shown at 22 and span their respective rods 5 serving as guides for the spider. Between the rods and the center of the spider are provided a series of holes 23 in which is arranged to be adjusted a link 24, the upper end of which is pivotally connected at 25 to the sleeve 8. It will be seen that the spring 14 forms aciishion for the lower limit of movement of the sleeve and at the same time permits the arms 5 to be moved inwardlyfto admit the tire casing while the holes 23 permit ot ad justment of the arms 5 to accommodate tires of different diameters.

Although there are shown six arms 5 and corres onding arms 11, this number is not essential, it being possible to operate the inachine with a less number of arms;

The piston being at the lower limit of its movement, the arms 11 are rocked on the pivotslO backwardly out of the way, and a tire casing placed around the upper ends ofy der 17 and the istonis raised to the osition shown in Fig. The fingers or hoo s 7 and 13 are thereby se nratcd and lthe edgesof the casing are hel open in position to have the .tube and flap inserted. When this has been done, the piston is released and the tire resumes its normal position and is removed from the machine. V A

Changes and modifications, within the sco )e of the appended claims, may be made wit )out in any manner changing the essential features of the invention'.

I claim: Y

1. In a'machine for the-purpose-'set forth, the combination of two members ada ted to enter theedg of a` tire casingv an mechanism to separate said members..

2. In a machine for 'the purpose set forth, the combination of a finger adapted to enter betweenthe edges of a tire cas1ng, a second finger likewise adapted yto enter between the edges of .the Vcaslng and means to move one of said fingers relative to the other to hold the edges of the casing separated.

3. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of a swinging arm, a finger at the endof said-arm, a4 second arm `above the first named arm, a pivotal mounting for said second named arm, a finger at the end of` said second named arm, and means to move one of said arms relatively to the other whereby the fingers are separated.

4. In a' machine for the purpose set forth,

. ananas arranged the combinationof a series bf arms 1n a circle, vfin projectmg outwardly of sald circle, a second series of arms, fin rs on the ends of said second arms norma ly located wdacent said first named fingers, and means or moving one ofsaid series of arms to separate the fingers.

5. In a machine -for the purpose set forth, the combination of a series of pivotally mounted arms arranged in a circle, fingers on the endsy of said. arms wardly of said circle, a secon, series o arms 'pivotalfmountings' for said second named. armsangula'r portions at the ends-of said second named arms, fingers onthe ends of said angular portions adjacent to and ex tending in thefsame direction as said first named fingers, and means for moving one of the sets o arms to'separate the fingers.

6.4 In ajmachine for the purpose-set forth, the combination of a series oflarms arranged in a circle, fingers on the' ends of said arms projecting outwardlyof said circle, a second series of arms, pivotal mounti for said second named arms, angular portions at'the ends of said ysecond named arms, fingers on vthe ends of said angular portions adjacent to and extendin in the same `direction as said first named one of the sets ol arms to separate the fingers.

WILLIAM c. STEVENS.

gers on theends of said arms at rojectin outn ers,and means for moving i DISCLAIMER.

1,288,783.Wt'am 0. Stevens., Akron, Ohio. Tnm-Ormtmo Macmirx. Patent dated December 24,1918. Disclaimer filed October 25, 1923, by the assignee, The Firestone Tire Rubber Uompany.

Hereby enters this disclaimer- To that part of the claims in said specification which is in the following words, to wit:

1. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of two members adapted to enter the edges of a tire casin and mechanism to separate said members.

2.- In amacbine for the purpose set orth, the combination of a finger adapted to enter between the ed s of a tlre casing, a second finger likewise adapted to enter between the edges 0f t e casin and means to move one of said fingers relative to theother to hold the edges of el casing separated.

4. In a machine for the pur set forth, the combination of a series of arms arranged in a circle, fin rs on t e ends of said arms rejecting outwardly of said circle, a second series o arms, fingers on the ends opsaid second arms normally located adjacent said first named fingers, and means for moving one of said series of arma to separate the fingers. l

6. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of a series of arms arranged in a circle, lingers on the ends of said arms projecting outwardly of said circle, a second series of arms, pivotal mountings for said second named arms, angular portions at the ends of said second named arms, lingers on the ends of said angular portions adjacent to and extending in the same direction as said first glued gingen, and means for moving one of the sets of arma to separate the gers.

[Oficial Gazette November 1J, 1923.] 

